Apple Bloom stepped outside the barn into the warm morning air. The time was eight AM. Big Macintosh and Applejack were bucking apples while Granny Smith snoozed in her rocking chair. Winona, the family’s sheepdog, darted around in the yard chasing rabbits. Apple Bloom took in a breath of fresh summer air and smiled, this was going to be fun! Today, the youngest member of the Apple Family was going to help gather fallen apples from the trees to make sure her sister and brother didn’t miss any. She always had a good time helping, even if she was exhausted at the end of the day. She wasn’t yet strong enough to apple buck, and that was harder than it looked.
Applejack noticed her little sister and smiled. “Mornin’, AB! Have a good night sleep?” Apple Bloom nodded and smiled.
“Ah sure did! Oh, this is gonna be fun!” she rushed up to her sister who smiled and nuzzled her lovingly.
“Eeyup! Think you’re up for the task?” asked Applejack, Apple Bloom nodded feverishly and beamed.
“Ah sure am! Shall we get started?” Applejack nodded and kicked the tree with her back legs, apples fell into the baskets that were scattered under the tree, but some rolled off, Apple Bloom ran over and picked them up. Then she trotted over to a basket and dropped them into it, smiling up at her big sister.
“Nice job!” Applejack said with a smile, then moved over to the next tree which had many buckets around it as well. “Come on over here, sis. There’s a lot of em’ in this one.” She then bucket the tree and many apples fell out from the thick branches and one hit Apple Bloom on the head, she laughed and shook her head. Applejack laughed, too. “Ya ok, sis?” Apple Bloom derped her eyes momentarily and Applejack laughed.
“Yeah!” Apple Bloom said, laughing, “Ah’m fine!” Applejack stopped laughing and smiled.
“That’s good, sugarcube.” AJ smiled and AB smiled back. Applejack kicked the tree again and the apples fell into the buckets.
“Hey, uh, Applejack?” Apple Bloom said with a blank expression. Applejack started to the next tree.
“Yes, Apple Bloom?”
Apple Bloom considered whether she should ask the question, it’d been bothering her for so many years and she couldn’t hold it inside any longer. “Applejack? What were ma and pa like?” Applejack stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the ground, she said nothing.
Finally, she let out a long sigh, “Ah knew you’d ask that someday, sugarcube.” She turned to Apple Bloom with a sad smile. “It’s time you knew what really happened. Take a seat.” Apple Bloom plopped down on the grass and Applejack put her arm around her. “One day, many, many years ago…one young mare named Tangerine Orange fell for a stallion named Crumbcake Apple.” She smiled fondly in recollection and continued as Apple Bloom listened intently. “Crumbcake was yellow, just like you are, with an orange mane n’ tail… he always wore his favorite cowpony hat, took it everywhere, he did. And Tangerine, well, ma, was orange, like Ah am. She had the prettiest red mane ya ever did see…and she even had a little bow to top off that gorgeous hairdo of hers.” Apple Bloom smiled and waited for Applejack to continue. Applejack sighed softly and went on, “So, they ended up gettin’ hitched and one year later, out popped Big Macintosh.” She gazed over at her big brother, who was kicking a tree, he smiled over at her and continued bucking. “Four years later, Ah came. Then six years later you came along, AB!” she chuckled Apple Bloom grinned.
“Go on, go on!” Apple Bloom exclaimed with shining eyes. Applejack closed her eyes and continued.
“Ah didn’t much like havin’ a little sister. Everypony was nuts about you and didn’t pay any heed to me. But,” Applejack smiled at Apple Bloom, “One day, ma called me over to see ya’ll. Ah wasn’t too excited at first, but once I took a good look at ya…heh, Ah loved ya like ya were my own. Ah’d never seen such a beautiful filly in all my days as Ah did right then.” Apple Bloom hugged Applejack and her tail thumped against the ground.
“Ya really thought Ah was that adorable?” Apple Bloom giggled and Applejack nodded.
“Oh, boy! Ah sure did! You were the cutest filly in a hundred miles!” Applejack chuckled and returned her little sister’s hug. After a moment, she went on. “One day, ma and pa took all of us out for a picnic. It was my birthday and we wanted to celebrate! You were still just a little thing, couldn’t walk, couldn’t talk, and certainly didn’t do much besides eat n’ sleep.” Apple Bloom laughed nervously and waited for Applejack to continue. “So, ma n’ pa gave me a basket. A pretty little present with a green bow on top. Ah tore it open like crazy to find the cutest little doggie Ah ever did see.” AJ gazed over at Winona and smiled, Winona stopped chasing a rabbit momentarily and looked over at Applejack, she barked. AJ smiled. “That’s how we got ‘Nona, over there.” Apple Bloom whistled to Winona and she ran up and licked them both. The sisters laughed and both patted their dog on the head.
“Go on! Ah’m likin’ this story!” Apple Bloom beamed and Applejack snuggled her close.
“Ok, ok! Hold your horses!” Applejack said with a laugh. “Anyways, we were pretty much the happiest family around…until one day that all came to an end.” Apple Bloom frowned and looked up at her big sister with questioning eyes.
“What happened?”
Applejack pulled her hat down over her face, something she usually did when she was sad or upset. She stuttered out something about the day being the worst day of her life and Apple Bloom bit her lip. The shadows of her hat hid Applejack’s face but Apple Bloom could hear quiet sniffles. AJ forced herself to continue, “One day, we all took a trip to Canterlot to sell apples there. As you probably know since you’ve been there a few times yourself, they had the most crowded streets in Equestria. Lots of carriages drawn by big, tough ponies like Big Mac.” Apple Bloom nodded and Applejack proceeded with the story. “We were tryin’ to find a place to set up our apple stand…when nopony was lookin’, a gigantic carriage hurdled down the street. Me, Granny Smith, an’ Big Mac saw it, and Ah was pushin’ you in your carriage and we got outta there lickety-split.” Applejack paused and shook her head. “Ma and pa…they…they weren’t so lucky.” She sniffled again and Apple Bloom hugged her with teary eyes. “It all went by so fast…Ah don’t even remember what happened next. Ah just remember sittin’ next to ma in the hospital one minute and then both she and pa were gone the very next day…” Apple Bloom felt her eyes tear up but she brushed them away quickly with her hoof.
“A-and then?” she stifled a sniffle and Applejack trembled slightly.
“Then…then we attended the funeral a few weeks later…And you know what, Apple Bloom?” Applejack smiled at her sister and tilted her hat back up, tears were rolling down her cheeks but she didn’t care. Apple Bloom perked up and listened intently, Applejack chuckled. “Well, after the wreck…ma’s bow and pa’s hat were saved…” she looked up at her own hat and smiled. “Now, pa’s always with me.” Apple Bloom grinned.
“But, what about ma’s bow?”
“You’re wearin’ it right now, sugarcube.” Applejack motioned to the big red bow that sat on Apple Bloom’s mane. Her little sister beamed. “Bet ya didn’t know that.”
“So, this was ma’s bow? Ah’ve never really wondered where it came from.” Apple Bloom giggled and AJ smiled, “Now Ah know!”
“Ya sure do, and Ah hope you’ll always remember where that came from n’ wear forever. Will ya do that, AB?”
“Ah sure will. Ya can count on it!”
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A/N: The cover-art is by Mn27, pretty, ain't it? Anyway, sorry it seems short. I needed to make something short and sweet. Even if it is a bit sappy...I hope you all enjoyed!